‘Doctor Who’: Season 10 could have ended with the Master impregnating Missy

Michelle Gomez and John Simm play Missy and the Master respectively in "Doctor Who" season 10 episode 12 "The Doctor Falls" BBC

“Doctor Who” season 10 could have ended with Missy (Michelle Gomez) being impregnated by her previous incarnation, the Master (John Simm). Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies conspired to make life a little less easy for incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall by leaving a head-scratching dilemma for season 11. Fortunately, they weren’t really serious about the idea.

Spoilers for episode 12 ‘The Doctor Falls’ are mentioned below. The episode aired Sunday in Australia on the ABC, Saturday in the UK on the BBC.

In the season 10 finale, the Master appeared smitten with Missy, who was his regenerated self. The two spent time dancing with each other and even squaring off at one point. He was no doubt attracted to her, but it’s unclear if she returned the favour.

The two managed to betray each other in the end, though. Missy stabbed him in the back so he could regenerate into her, while the Master shot her, also in the back, with the full blast of his sonic screwdriver. They lay dying in the end, the Master as he waited to regenerate, Missy as she presumably waited to die.

While it was already a tense ending, it could have been more melodramatic. Moffat and Davies apparently planned to give the ending a soap opera-ish finish, just to mess with Chibnall. When Moffat told his predecessor that he wanted to bring back Simm to play the Master, Davies was pleased with idea. According to Radio Times, he was so pleased by the idea that another more depraved one formed.

“He’s going, ‘Oh my god the dialogue! Oh god how brilliant. Oh my god… they’re going to, aren’t they?’” Moffat quoted Davies. “I said, ‘Russell, it’s a children’s show, it’s not [British TV series] Cucumber, we can’t do that.’ But we concocted this whole scheme that I’d cliffhanger out of my era on Doctor Who – handing over to Chris – with Missy telling the Master and the Doctor that she’s pregnant.

“Over to you, Chibs,” Moffat laughed. “Sort that one out!”

They, of course, did not go through with that questionable ending. The Master may be evil, but he’s not as depraved as wanting to become his own parents.

On whether Missy really died in the episode, it’s uncertain. She might have just regenerated, even though the Master made sure that she couldn’t. One thing is for sure, though, Gomez isn’t coming back to play her anymore. (Watch the interview below.)

“Doctor Who” will return on Christmas. The current and Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) met with the First Doctor (played by David Bradley) in a surprise ending scene in “The Doctor Falls,” and it’s expected they will interact again before Twelve regenerates in the Christmas Special.